On 30 May 2014, the Competition Commission published the Statement of Issues and Guidelines for Participation in the Market Inquiry into the Private Healthcare Sector for public comment.
The Statement and Guidelines are fluid documents that may change during the course of the Market Inquiry into the Private Healthcare Sector but provide stakeholders with insight into the aspect on which the Market Inquiry into the Private Healthcare Sector will focus and the procedures to be followed in conducting the Inquiry. The finalisation of these documents marks the effective starting point of the Inquiry in respect of active stakeholder participation. Stakeholders will, once these documents are finalised, have a definitive framework for those aspects of competition in the private healthcare market which the Inquiry panel hopes to address and which stakeholders will be expected to make submissions on. It also provides a framework for making submissions to the Inquiry panel and for participating in the Inquiry.
Public comments, at this stage, will, accordingly, be aimed at proposing matters that have been identified as matters possibly affecting competition in the private healthcare market that should be investigated by the Inquiry panel and ensuring that stakeholders are able to effectively participate in the Inquiry.
Stakeholders are invited to comment on the Statement and Guidelines by 30 June 2014.
